District of ColumbiaRental owners would meet seasonal and year-round indoor temperature limits
Starting April 1, 2027, if enacted, District landlords who provide air conditioning would meet cooling standards, including year-round standards when tenants control heating and cooling.
What it does
Owners who offer air conditioning would keep it able to meet cooling limits from May 1 through October 1. Those limits allow warmer rooms during extreme heat.
Rental owners would keep living spaces and bathrooms at least 68°F during a heating season covering at least October 15 through April 15, with an extreme-cold exception.
Landlords who provide both heating and air conditioning would keep tenant-controlled systems able to meet year-round temperature limits. The cooling limit would depend on outdoor heat.
Argument forYear-round equipment standards could help tenants who control both systems keep their homes comfortable during unusually warm or cold weather.
Argument againstDuring extreme heat, the outdoor-temperature formula could allow rooms to stay above 78°F, leaving some residents with less cooling than they need.
More detail
Owners would keep air conditioning equipment safe, working, and able to meet cooling limits. This covers housing businesses and dormitories that offer air conditioning, in the rooms the equipment serves. Equipment must be able to reach the warmer of 78°F or at least 15°F below the outdoor temperature. The cooling season would cover at least May 1 through October 1. The act would apply April 1, 2027, if it takes effect.
Owners and operators would supply enough heat to keep living spaces and bathrooms at least 68°F. This covers rented homes, rented rooms, dormitory rooms, and guestrooms. Below the District building code’s winter outdoor temperature threshold, the 68°F minimum would not apply if the heating system runs at full capacity. The heating requirement would apply from April 1, 2027, if the act takes effect.
Landlords would keep tenant-controlled heating and cooling equipment safe, working, and able to meet year-round temperature limits. This covers tenants who control landlord-provided central heating and central or individual air conditioning. Equipment must be able to maintain at least 68°F. When cooling runs, the upper limit would be the warmer of 78°F or at least 15°F below outdoor temperatures. These standards would apply from April 1, 2027, if the act takes effect.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed 1st Chamber
- Passed 2nd Chamber
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Oct 26Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on Nov 09, 2026To Governor
- Oct 6Final ReadingMinor
- Vote recorded Amendment (Henderson). Result: pass.Legislature
- Vote recorded Final Reading. Result: pass.Legislature
- Oct 6Amendment (Henderson)Minor
- Sep 22First Reading, CCMinor
- Vote recorded First Reading, CC. Result: pass.Legislature
- Sep 22Committee Mark-up of B26-0285 by the Committee of the Whole
- Jan 27Public Hearing on B26-0285 View Public Hearing Record
- 2025
- Dec 19Notice of Public Hearing Published in the District of Columbia Register
- Dec 11Notice of Public Hearing filed in the Office of Secretary by Committee of the WholeMinor
- Jun 20Notice of Intent to Act on B26-0285 Published in the District of Columbia Register
- Jun 17Referred to Committee of the Whole with comments from the Committee on HousingMinor
- Jun 11B26-0285 Introduced by Councilmember Henderson at Office of the SecretaryIntroduced
Housing